In traveling across the state, visiting dozens of schools and interviewing hundreds of educators about the most pressing issues in education, there’s an overarching theme in all of the stories we’ve filmed to date: poverty has an impact on a child’s ability to learn.

When a student is hungry, sick, tired, falling behind, not ready to be in school or simply can’t speak English, schools must take on an added responsibility and meet the basic needs for every child before approaching academics. With nearly two in five Nebraska children living in low-income households, the issue of poverty in education needs a community’s collective impact and continuous support to find the most effective solutions and pave the way for success. Watch Standing Up to Poverty to learn how we can all make an impact in our local community and state.